In general, security staffing has been determined somewhat arbitrarily, without concern for the number of people being served by the security staff (i.e., the demand for security screening). Even when security workers are staffed in view of an estimated demand for security screening, the estimate is generally haphazardly formed and unreliable.
Staffing without accurate forecasting of the demand for security screening creates several potential problems. If a security checkpoint is understaffed, the security checkpoint operates below optimal efficiency, potentially delaying people passing through the checkpoint. Conversely, the overstaffing of security personnel leads in an inefficient condition in which some of the security personnel are idle, resulting in excess labor costs.
One difficulty in security staffing in view of the demand for security screening is that demand levels are difficult to forecast. Specifically, demand levels often vary greatly. For instance, the number of people traveling at airports or seaports varies wildly, causing demand for security screening in these locations to vary correspondingly. Similarly, the number of people entering a public venue varies as events approach. Furthermore, customer behavior can differ greatly, depending on the location, the event, the time, etc.
Accordingly, the number of security workers should closely match the staffing levels needed for the public's demand for security screening. However, this type of staffing is quite difficult to implement since security workers cannot be assigned instantaneously in desired quantities. For example, each of the security workers is employed each day for a shift of fixed duration (generally 8 hours), a fixed number of shifts staffing period (typically five days per week). Also, security workers may not accept fluctuating starting and ending times. Furthermore, employment rules and security regulations place limitations on staffing, such as a regulation may require that checkpoint workers work five or less consecutive days and must receive at least two rest days per week.